Determined to do the job he has been assigned, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Chairman Gajendra Chauhan on Wednesday said strikes by students will only hurt their interests.
"I am working hard as the Chairman and I am determined to do the job I have been assigned. I have already chaired two governing council meetings.
"We have passed a vision document, some statues were passed and a new semester system was passed," said Chauhan, who is in the city for a film shoot.
Chauhan could assume office only in January, seven months after his appointment owing to opposition from the students who alleged he was unfit for the post.
"Till date I have no idea why the unrest in FTII took place. Such strikes will only hurt their interests. Strikes can never be a solution to any problem. If there is a problem, it can be solved with dialogue.
"I definitely believe in the power of the students. They are the future of the country. But they can be easily influenced and manipulated by anti-social elements," said Chauhan.
Chauhan said he was in the city for a Bengali movie, "Danga" (Riot), based on the 1946 communal strife of Kolkata in which he is essaying the role of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee.